The Health Care Blog

Are We Too Small to Succeed?

By DON LINDSTROM The logic behind the government bailouts in the financial and automobile industries goes like this: some institutions are so large and interconnected that their failure could collapse the entire economy. They are considered to be too big...
November 9, 2009 in AMA, Economics | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can a Collection of Official Statements Be Called a “Blog”?

By Michael L. Millenson American Medical Association president, J. James Rohack has begun sharing his thoughts on the U.S. health care system, health reform and other issues affecting patients and physicians in a new blog, according to the AMA. There’s...
August 27, 2009 in AMA, Michael Millenson | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sermo, malpractice, and Howard Dean

By Matthew Holt Sermo’s Daniel Palestrant got on TV with Howard Dean. It was an amusing (and short) little debate which you can find here. The best moment was at the start when Dean claimed that Sermo was just a...
July 29, 2009 in AMA, Health 2.0, Malpractice, Matthew Holt, Physicians, Sermo | Permalink | Comments (14)

Commentology

THCB reader JB wrote us to say: "I guess you guys are probably aware of the huge backlash that is going on with various medical societies around the US, due to the AMA and other physician groups endorsement of HR...
July 22, 2009 in AMA, Commentology | Permalink | Comments (6)

Is Wal-Mart Leading the Charge on Health Reform?

By RAHUL PARIKH Last Wednesday's headline in the Wall Street Journal may have surprised you. It read: "Wal-Mart Backs Drive to Make Companies Pay for Health Coverage." The article discussed Wal-Mart's open support for an employer mandate requiring all but...
July 6, 2009 in AMA, Electronic Medical Records, Rahul Parikh, Reform, Unions, Wal Mart | Permalink | Comments (26)

Careful What You Wish For

By THE INCIDENTAL ECONOMIST On the left are those who would like health reform to include a strong public plan, one that could negotiate large provider discounts, driving down the cost of medical care. On the right are those who...
July 4, 2009 in AMA, CMS, Congress, Economics, Medicare, Reform | Permalink | Comments (25)

Commentology

Futurist Jeff Goldsmith's analysis of issues that could cause problems for any health reform effort that eventually emerges from the foodfight in Washington this summer provoked a wide range of reader replies. ("No Country For Old Men") Goldsmith wrote in...
July 2, 2009 in AMA, Commentology, Electronic Medical Records, Jeff Goldsmith, Malpractice, Physicians, Reader Mail, Robert Laszewski, Unions | Permalink | Comments (9)

Preventing Extortion

By JACK CHURCHILL The debate about a public health insurance option mirrors the debate about public power in the 1920’s and 30’s. The arguments then were very similar to the arguments we hear today. The principal issue then was whether...
July 2, 2009 in AMA, Economics, History, Supreme Court, The Industry | Permalink | Comments (4)